10 Best Eyewear Brands

Finding The Best Eyewear Brands

Whether required for vision, shade, or just as an aesthetic choice, there’s a lot that goes into finding that perfect pair of glasses. 

The best eyewear brands on the market understand that it’s about more than just the frames – lens quality, fit, and craftsmanship all come together to create the dream pair of glasses for each person.

While it’s easy enough to wander into a store to try things on until something clicks, sometimes we like to know that there’s a brand available for quick online purchases as well. 

10 Best Eyewear Brands

Saving time and money, these top ten best eyewear brands boast quality construction and content to provide customers with satisfying fits and styles in all categories. Doesn’t matter what look prompts the search – there’s something for everyone.

#1: Prive Revaux

Ever wonder where celebrities get such awesome glasses? Check out Prive Revaux’s collection and you’ll have your answer. Designed for A-listers like Jamie Foxx and Hailee Steinfeld, its line of eyewear has that whole je-ne-sais-quoi look that just stands out. 

Known for its iconic, face-flattering designs, Prive Revaux was founded in 2016 by celebrity stylists Mariel Haennand and Rob Zangardi and offers 100% UV protection in every single pair. Its blue-light-blocking, polarized sun readers are the ideal addition to summertime tanning sessions just as UVA/UVB protecting Lady Gaga-worthy frames are to shopping on 5th. 

Why settle for one and not the other? Enjoy clear vision, sun, and blue-light protection for an incredibly affordable price with Prive Revaux. Funky blue light readers start at $6 (on sale from $30) while fashion shades range up to $45.

Highlights

• Affordable
• Celeb-inspired styles
• Quality-made
• 100% UV protection
• Blue-light glasses & prescription readers
• Polarized options

#2: EyeBuyDirect

EyeBuyDirect was founded in 2005 by Roy Hessel. They’re an All-American company, headquartered in Austin, TX, where the frames are also produced. 

EyeBuyDirect aims for their online shopping experience to be as accessible as possible, and for customers to find the perfect glasses and shades. Their motto is “reframing the eyewear game,” which is catchy and gets points for puns. 

One thing that became 100% clear from is that EyeBuyDirect glasses team is focused on you. To make sure customers are completely happy in their glasses, the team fixates on every detail from design to production. 

Highlights

• Affordable frames
• Excellent shipping and return policies, including 2-day shipping
• Great team and culture
• A technical and supportive approach to online frame fitting
• A large variety of glasses and sunglasses to choose from with many flattering styles
• Detailed designs

#3: Eyebobs

Be confident in each and every look with the assistance of Eyebobs. This brand has sat in the market for more than respectable 20 years, celebrating the anniversary in 2021 with the launch of new frames each month to really bring home all this business has to offer. 

Never sacrificing when it comes to creativity and design, this company has proven time and time again that their ideas aren’t running low and there’s a world of wonderful lenses to explore.

Hoping to inspire individuality and self-confidence, Eyebobs aims to serve up a wide range of frames to cover every type of fashion. 

Avoiding the popular world of sunglasses, this business instead focuses on reading, prescription, blue light, and clear lens glasses. Anything and everything to make the world crystal clear while keeping the outfit on point.

The best part of this brand comes from cost. While prescriptions will add additional fees, the frames themselves cost $95. All frames, one price – that’s practically unheard of in this business.

Highlights

• Wide range of reading, prescription, blue light, and clear lens glasses
• Set price for all frames
• Helpful blogs on finding the right fit, glasses maintenance, and more
• Style quiz to find the perfect pair

#4: Burberry

We’re willing to bet that most people reading this article have heard of the next entry for the best eyewear brands – Burberry. 

We’ll admit, we typically think of clothes and coats when it comes to this brand, but their eyewear seems to be a hidden gem that many overlook in favor of the shinier and heavier items available from this business.

Though many may not know the specific history of this company, Burberry is one of the older businesses on the market, first appearing in 1856 with a solution to the constantly changing British weather. 

Featured in wars, Arctic ventures, and even the Olympics, this brand has established themselves in every location as being one of the best. It only makes sense that their sunglasses are then some of the best as well.

We’ll admit, anything Burberry isn’t going to be cheap – especially considering these are sunglasses rather than anything prescription. That said, most of their sunglasses sit comfortably in the $160 to $340 range, which isn’t bad for a bigger name brand.

Highlights

• An expansive selection of top-tier sunglasses
• Established brand with historical past
• Working with and towards more sustainable materials and manufacturing processes
• Support of global communities

#5: Ace & Tate

One of the newer names on this list of the best eyewear brands, Ace & Tate joined the industry in 2013, hoping to provide customers with extensions of their personalities in easy frames and lenses. 

Forget showing off style – it’s all about showing off the self with this brand and exposing the world to who you are.

Selling both eyeglasses and sunglasses, this brand has been working towards a more sustainable solution since their launch, landing them a B-Corp Certified status. 

Aiming for zero-carbon emissions in the future, for now, their focus remains on customer care and contact to really build that loyal base.

Costs for this one list for frames, acknowledging that fees will be added for prescriptions before purchase. Frames from this brand sit between $125 to $225 with the price going up once those lenses have been added in.  

Highlights

• Offers selections for glasses and sunglasses
• B-Corp Certified
• International stores and shipping
• Reframe program to reuse and recycle frames to reduce waste

#6: Ray-Ban

We have to admit, this list of the best eyewear brands would be a bit of a sham without including Ray-Ban on here. Known highly in the eyewear industry, this specific style comes in as one of the top sellers on the market for a reason. That reason? History.

This brand started in the market with aviation, focusing on helping the heroic flyers combat sunny and foggy skies through their glare-reducing glasses. Following through with outdoors and military styles, the real celebration of this name came with the move to Hollywood. 

Appearing on James Dean and Audrey Hepburn, respectively, it didn’t take long for this brand to rise to the heights of the celebs now showcasing them.

Despite being known for their stylish sunglasses, they also offer a wide selection of regular eyeglasses for prescription wearing. 

These frames can range anywhere from $140 to $415 depending on the materials and style, but remember costs will be added once a prescription is in place.

Highlights

• An expansive range of sunglasses and eyewear
• Afterpay and Klarna payment plans available
• Green shipping
• Smart frames available

#7: Tom Ford

Class up the situation with some Tom Ford shades. Despite their well-known name, this high-class men’s brand only actually joined the market in 2004. However, they do have some history to their company that understandably boosts their status.

The founder, Tom Ford, worked in fashion for years, spending time at both Gucci and Saint Yves Laurent before establishing his own brand. 

Once on the market, it didn’t take long for the business to become a success, even reaching high enough status that Ford was able to step away and pursue other dreams such as scriptwriting.

We’ll openly acknowledge that this brand seems to be more geared towards clothing and formalwear, but that doesn’t mean eyewear gets left behind. 

Featuring a range from $340 all the way up to $1,990 for frames alone, this brand knows what quality means and exactly how to achieve it.

Highlights

• Extensive range of eyewear, attire, and accessories
• Two-year warranty
• Foldable eyewear and clip-on collections
• Commitment to sustainability

#8: Oakley

As one of the biggest on the market, Oakley also sits as one of the best eyewear brands currently in the industry. This recognizable name got its start in the world of sports, making their way with goggles for dirt biking, motocross, and then skiing.

The turn towards general sunglasses came in 1984 with the O Wing Grips, but what really made the turn was the Frogskins in 1985, which were designed to compete against Ray-Bans. 

Once those had made their way to the public, there was no going back. Since moving into leisurewear, Oakley’s sporting sunglasses have maintained a top position amongst the best brands.

Despite being a top name, this brand manages to offer lower costs and constant sales throughout the year. 

Currently, this brand has a number of eyewear frames available for 50% off, bringing costs from $100 down to $50. Luckily, high costs don’t sit unreasonably either with prices topping at $350.

Highlights

• Incredibly wide range of eyeglasses, goggles, prescriptions, and sunglasses
• Buy online, pick up in-store
• Build prescription eyewear option
• Green shipping option

#9: Tory Burch

Women everywhere, take pride in knowing that Tory Burch was founded for you. This all-female brand was created to inspire and empower women everywhere.

That means stepping back from stereotypes and embracing worlds of fashion outside of the standard realms to discover a new world of styles ready to explore.

Dedicated primarily to clothing, this brand does also offer a wide range of accessories, all focused on playing with color and pattern – this also covers their selection of eyeglasses and sunglasses. 

While not the most popular of their expansive collection, these frames still hold their own in the world of fashion.

Delivering on form and function in all pairs, the Tory Burch glasses aid women in making their mark professionally and personally on the world around them. 

Starting at $170 and maxing out at $270, this brand manages to keep prices fairly limited in the lower end of the spectrum.

Highlights

• Female-forward designs for attire and accessories, including sunnies and eyeglasses
• Tory Burch Foundation supports female empowerment
• International shipping
• Supportive of female entrepreneurs

10. Zenni

Last on our list of the best eyewear brands, we’re bringing in Zenni. We had to save this one for last because it may be one of our favorites. Why such a bold statement? This brand is all about that budget.

Zenni was founded in 2003 by two scientists who were sick of social standards surrounding eyewear. They wanted affordable glasses that still looked great so people wouldn’t have to go into debt just to see the world around them. 

Providing high-quality pieces from an online base, this brand offers up reasonable-cost solutions to those with unclear sight.

When we say affordable, we mean it. Forget $100 frames as a minimum and take pride (and relief) in showing off $5 to $50 frames. Looking and feeling great, these glasses are all about style and substance for reasonable costs.  

Highlights

• Wide selection of glasses and frames for eyewear and sunglasses
• Online-only retailer
• International shipping
• Virtual Try-on

How To Shop For The Best Eyewear 

When shopping for something like glasses, you’d think the path to the right frames would be clear. Unfortunately, things are a bit foggy until the list of expansive options gets a little narrowed down. 

It’s a rough step to start limiting the load, but we’ve got a few considerations to keep in mind when shopping for the best eyewear brands.

Brand  

We’ll admit, brand isn’t always the most important part when selecting a pair of glasses but knowing and researching the name can offer a quality check, which is never a bad idea. The real thing to focus on when it comes to brands is understanding what styles are available.

Different companies will highlight specific categories. This simply means that some brands specialize in prescription or sunglasses only while others will offer those in addition to blue light and clear lens shades. 

Understand what you’re looking to buy and then narrow from there by searching for brands that best cover those areas.

Style 

Eyewear comes in all kinds of fashions. We’re not just talking about the use here (like reading vs blue light), but instead, we’re talking about the designs themselves. 

As with any part of the fashion industry, there are endless options in place to select from. Some of the most popular styles tend to be the following:

• Square retro
• Metallic Modern
• Eco-friendly
• Minimalistic frames
• Statement frames
• Trending colors

Really, it’s all about personal preference for this one.

Fit 

It doesn’t matter if the glasses come from one of the best eyewear brands on the market, if the frames don’t fit the face, then things won’t work out. 

There are a number of face shapes out there, but it generally comes down to a standard trick: find the frames that oppose the face shape.

What do we mean by that? Faces that tend to be rounder in shape work best with squared and edged lenses while squared and angled jaws work well with rounded frames. 

Essentially, frames should draw attention away from the face shape rather than exaggerating it and the best way to do that is by countering with the opposing organic or geometric shapes.

That said, we need to put it out there – if you try on frames and love the look, go for it. While this is a general guide for the selection process, personal preference always wins out.  

Prescription 

Prescriptions aren’t a general thing. Everyone’s eyes work differently, so there’s no single pass as to what numbers are needed. With that in mind, there are four main corrective lenses in use:

1. Single Vision – these are standard for farsightedness and nearsightedness
2. Bifocals – feature two focal points for assistance in distance and close vision
3. Trifocals – an extension of the previous with a segment for mid-range vision
4. Progressive – lineless lens that progresses from nearsighted to farsighted in one seamless piece of glass

While scripts may change depending on the individual vision, these four types underpin the variety encountered in the world of prescriptions.

Lifestyle 

Check yourself before you wreck your glasses. It’s not unheard of to have broken frames and loose fits, but the chance increases depending on the activity.

Those into active lifestyles may want to check out more durable designs than minimalistic wire options or even consider owning multiple pairs to switch out (and prepare for the worst-case scenario). 

Those who cater to a more indoor and screen-friendly lifestyle should consider blue light filters to reduce headaches and assist with better sleep.

There’s something to match every lifestyle – it just takes a bit of work to find the fit.  

Warranties 

Above all else, warranties need to be read. Glasses are so easy to break and bend, so knowing that a warranty is in place can be a lifesaver. 

Don’t sacrifice for certain styles – do your research, find a lasting warranty of at least a year (if not two), and be confident knowing that the worst is covered.

Budget 

Glasses can get expensive in no time. Frames plus the prescription go up into the hundreds in an instant, so it’s important to understand just how much might be spent for a good pair of glasses. 

While some do dive into the thousands, there are also several budget brands that offer cheap, but tough frames to get the job done for less than half the cost.

What Is The Most Popular Eyewear Shape?  

It’s hard to give a standard answer on popular eyewear shapes as things tend to change over the years. We will say, despite the constant wave of trends that occur, there are three distinct styles that seem to remain in the top five without fail:

• Rectangular
• Cat-eye
• Circular

Setting the standard for style, these shapes tend to surpass trends with each rising and falling through different fads. 

While moves from black to clear to color may appear over the decades, the designs themselves remain consistent and that really comes down to the universal shapes working for a wide spectrum of faces.

What Eyeglasses Frames Make You Look Younger? 

We know what you’re wondering – can frames actually make someone look younger? Amazingly enough, the answer is yes. 

Fashion, in general, has the power to take years off the face and bring back that youthful glow; if clothes can do it, why can’t glasses?

There are a few easy tricks that can bring back the younger years, so we’ll throw them out as a general list:

• Black frames – go bold and beautiful with black frames worn by every age
• Oversized frames – the larger the lens, the more focus gets drawn to the eyes rather than the wrinkles
• Cat-eye frames – more frequently appearing in female fashion, cat-eye frames are all about sleek, stylish specs that bring a bit of pep back to the step
• Colored frames – distract from graying hair with a pop of color. Go big or go home

While these aren’t the only options to get a younger look going, they’re definitely a good start. Take a chance, get bold, and just have fun playing around with a new look.  

Should Glasses Sit On The Bridge Of The Nose? 

The right pair of glasses should comfortably rest on the bridge of the nose. While it’s popularly seen in media to have a pair of specs sitting on the end of the nose, the simple fact is glasses should rest 14 to 24mm from the eyes for optimum use.

Any glasses that sit against the face or droop to the end of the nose should be adjusted. Simple tightening can do the job to have things resting comfortably in place.

What Is Eyeglass Grade? 

There are a lot of terms in the world of eyewear, so it only makes sense to decode some of the more common phrases. One of the most popular words to pop up in this industry is eyeglass grade. We promise, you already know what it is.

Eyeglass grade is another term for the prescription. A plus (+) constitutes farsightedness while a minus (-) displays nearsighted vision. The numbers that accompany the signs simply tell the manufacturers how much that vision needs to be corrected in a certain direction.  

Final Thoughts

We ended up offering a bit more than just a listing of the best eyewear brands, but we’d argue that the additional information is necessary when shopping around. 

While our advice may not come into play once a favorite pair has been selected, we’d still recommend doing some basic research on the warranty, brand, and cost before completing that purchase. 

Aim for lasting frames to keep life and costs simple and find joy in expressing the self through that extra element of style.

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Explore your options for eyewear with these top brands:

Pair Eyewear 

DIFF Eyewear

Illesteva

Vint and York

Glasses USA